Our Place

Gratitude for a year of blessings December is a time when I often count my blessings and look back on the past year with heartfelt gratitude.

Nobody knows what a year will bring, but since arriving at Our Place, I have come to know that the staff and volunteers here are incredibly dedicated to making sure that, above all else, we never lose sight of the vulnerable people we care for.

We can’t do all of this work without you! We are truly grateful to everyone who contributes to Our Place and helps us nourish hope in our community. Consider donating today – make a onetime donation, become a monthly donor, leave a legacy in your will, or make a donation of time by giving us a call at 250-940-5060, emailing us at donors@ourplacesociety.com, or visiting us at ourplacesociety.com/donate.

For others, it’s assessing their mental health needs; making sure if they have a diagnosis that they’re getting proper medication or supporting them in finally getting a medical diagnosis.

In short, we build community.

are some people who find a hotel room too isolating, so we need to move them to a community setting such as a shelter. There are some whose mental health has disintegrated to the point where they need more complex care than we have the ability to offer, and so we work with our health partners to find other solutions.

And there are some who simply need time to find their way.

We aren’t perfect, and I see people every day who are still struggling. I see men who have lost all trust in others, and I see women too afraid and traumatized to seek shelter.

But I know, we won’t stop trying to reach them. It’s not in our DNA to And when people moved into their When I look at the transformation of a give up, so we’ll keep soldiering on, new room or shelter bed, that’s when hotel into a home or a parking lot into reaching people where they’re at the real work started. The work we a tiny home village, I can’t help but be and trying our best to give them all do isn’t just about providing a warm, amazed. The compassion that I see the support they need. And through dry bed – although that is incredibly on a daily basis warms my heart. it all, I know and appreciate all of the important – it’s about meeting support our community and donors individual needs, helping folk Communities aren’t born, they grow provide. Without that support our job improve, even transform, their lives. from a seed. And like a garden, it would be impossible.

For some that is giving them space needs to be tended carefully. There Thank you!

NOURISHING HOPE IN LIVES TODAY! To donate to Our Place Society please call 250-940-5060, email donors@ourplacesociety.com, or visit us at ourplacesociety.com/donate

INSIDE

Julian Daly, CEO, Our Place Society

In 2021, that hard work and dedication meant that some 500 people who were struggling without housing were moved indoors. It also meant that our team grew as we took over management of numerous hotels, shelters and kitchens.

to rest after months or years of struggling to survive. It’s about providing proper nutrition to build back their bodies and clear the fog in their brains. It’s about dealing with addiction issues, which often means keeping people alive until they’re ready to turn the page, and then providing support as they enter detox and therapeutic recovery.

Seniors find connection and companionship in the Our Place 50+ Club And, because of donors and grants from the City of Victoria, the federal New Horizons for Seniors program, and the United Church of Canada’s Seeds of Hope stream, the 50+ Club was able to continue its service to seniors despite the pandemic, which brought feelings of relief and gratitude to Club members, knowing there was still a safe, welcoming and fun place to be during challenging times.

The best part of the Club? Kirsty coordinates fun outings and activities, always with proper safety protocols in place, like wearing masks, staying outdoors when possible, and having a sign-up system for events.

“I really enjoyed this morning. I’ve signed up for the pizza party, and now I’d like to sign up for the Art Gallery and the exercise machines at the park. It’s so nice to actually meet with others. Can’t thank you enough!”

Kirsty is the Seniors Program Coordinator at Our Place where she’s the driving force behind the ‘50+ Club’, a program geared at bringing seniors who are our family members together to build connection and a sense of belonging. “At the core of the 50+ Club is how important community is to us and how getting together, just being together, however we can be, is the main focus,” says Kirsty.

Seniors who participate in the Club are often some of the most vulnerable in our community – the average age of mortality of people experiencing homelessness in BC is 47. For many seniors, Our Place provides all of the social interaction, health care, food, and access to services that they might receive in a year. The 50+ Club fills a void in serving seniors that would otherwise fall through the cracks because of limited resources and barriers that restrict them from participating in social, recreational and educational activities.

“Social inclusion programs are particularly important for impoverished seniors because they are at greater risk of isolation and depression than others,” says Patricia O’Byrne, Community Engagement Program

Manager at Our Place, who started the 50+ Club in 2018 to address a need she saw missing. “The 50+ Club improves morale and wellbeing and ensures that this group has access to the services and information that they need. We’re there for them when sometimes no one else is. That connection is the most critical aspect.”

Kirsty plays a vital role by providing seniors with a caring listening ear, oneon-one companionship and support, and advocacy assistance. She’s also their key contact in Victoria for all things 50+, filling a service gap for our family members and helping to open doors for people who aren’t sure where to turn.

During this past year, the 50+ Club enjoyed picnics at Willows Beach, exercise class in Central Park, going out for a pizza or taco lunch, and gardening together in two plots in the Yates Street Community Garden. The 50+ Club also brings in guest speakers to provide information on topics like fraud prevention. In 2020, 682 seniors attended 93 Club events.

“It’s really neat to see them forging bonds, making friends and learning things from one another,” says Kirsty.

“It’s an age group that’s already socially isolated at times, and it’s hard enough to make new friends. Pile on the many other circumstances that they’re dealing with, and you really see how important it is for people to have access to a program like this one.”

Adds Patricia: “In the past year we heard from people that they weren’t really as afraid of catching COVID. What they were really afraid of was the deep sadness and loneliness they’d feel and what that might trigger for them. We were so grateful to be able

to carry on the program throughout the pandemic, which would not have been possible without our donors and funders. We’re grateful, and we know the 50+ Club members are too.”

Programs like the 50+ Club nourish a sense of hope and belonging for people and are only possible because of your support. Those few hours spent connecting with someone like Kirsty can make all the difference.

We’re thankful for being able to help seniors in our community, and with your support we can do even more to protect our vulnerable seniors.

You help nourish hope in so many this holiday season and throughout the year by supporting programs like the Our Place 50+ Club for seniors.

“Kirsty ‘dragged’ me out and into the hot sunlight and fresh air to see some new and old friends.

She arrives with such a positive spin, lunch kits with fresh veggies and always a topic or activity of interest, mixed with laughter and understanding.”

Spiritual Care at Our Place Meet Maria Green, Manager and Chaplain of Spiritual Care “Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives.” ~ Brene Brown

something different to everyone. At Our Place we really want to create the most inclusive environment possible to allow people to find what that means to them.”

Right now, spiritual care services are based at 919 Pandora, and Maria has begun outreach into all 11 of our sites, especially New Roads Therapeutic Recovery Community and various transitional housing locations where people are now in a more stable environment.

Thanks to government support, more people are now housed. Maria adds, “People are now given The concept of spirituality – of having an inner meals and other supports, and some of them are in belief in hope, and faith – in supporting recovery a place where they are able to think beyond survival. is nothing new to Our Place Society. Founded on That’s were Spiritual Care can come in. We are here Christian traditions and the Open Door and Upper to connect with people, to encourage connections Room outreach of two United Church inner-city with themselves, and with something greater than congregations more than 50 years ago, Our Place has themselves, whatever that means to them.” taken those core values and evolved into an inclusive environment where all versions of spirituality Maria’s vision is to recruit a team of spiritual care staff and humanism are accepted, respected, and and volunteers of different faiths who are available to celebrated. Hope comes in many forms. Just one of support people throughout Our Place. “Our plan is to those ways is providing spiritual care for people facing start a coffee or hot chocolate and smudging station trauma, poverty, mental health, addictions, and/or at each of our sites – same time, same place, same homelessness. day each week. It takes a long time to build trust with people, and it has to be consistent. It’s about holding That’s why spiritual care is a critical part of the range that space for people, opening up the positive energy of supportive services we offer at our Drop-in Centre for people to walk into, that can remind people of the at 919 Pandora, led by new Manager and Chaplain of hope that’s inside them.”

Spiritual Care, Maria Green. Maria joined Our Place in September, and she can already see the potential Our Place would like to honour and express for growth in this area of care. She brings a Master’s deep gratitude to the more than 300 faith-based in Divinity from Regent College and 15 years’ organizations that are loyal supporters of the meals, experience in outreach work. She spent 10 years volunteers, and the recently successful tenant starter living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, working in kits program. Season’s greetings to all who light roles at the Union Gospel Mission and the Salvation the way and walk their faith through service and Army. Maria has seen first-hand how spirituality can philanthropy! have a powerful impact on a person’s ability to find hope in any situation, no matter how dire it may seem.

“Spiritual care is supporting people in their journey of connection and healing” says Maria. “What we try to do for people is nourish hope, because if they have that, they can face almost anything. Everything may seem so bleak, but if they have that inner hope, that inner faith, a plan, and support, they can believe they can make changes.” For Maria, spirituality can involve some religious aspects, but it shouldn’t be the focus. “Spirituality is anything that connects you to something greater than yourself, but also connects you to yourself, like love, and community. We’re all holistic beings – we’re all whole beings. We all have that spiritual aspect in ourselves, which means

SPONSOR AND SERVE A MEAL! WE ARE SO EXCITED TO WELCOME YOU BACK TO OUR PLACE BREAKFAST STARTING AT $500 Imagine how important a morning meal is for someone waking up scared, hurting and hungry.

LUNCH STARTING AT $600 With all meals, Our Place will acknowledge your organization for its generous partnership.

DINNER STARTING AT $750 Our Place serves hundreds of meals per day and your donations ensure continued support for the most vulnerable citizens of Greater Victoria.

CHANGE A LIFE If your group would like to sponsor a meal, (or meals) or you have questions please contact stevens@ourplacesociety.com or 250-940-5064

Save the Date: Saturday, February 26th, 2022 Warm hearts on the Coldest Night of the Year!

Our Place Society and Pacific Centre Family Services Association (PCFSA) have once again teamed up for the 2022 Coldest Night of the Year two and five kilometre walk for charity.

Together, we are proud to offer families, faith, work, and community groups the opportunity to walk in solidarity and raise awareness and funds to help serve the hungry, homeless, and hurting people in our community.

• Enjoy family friendly activities both before and after the walk • Join hundreds of compassionate members of our community participating in Canada’s Fastest Growing Peer-to-Peer Fundraising campaign • Warm up with hot food and drink on a cold winter’s night • Have the option to walk virtually and show support from your own neighbourhood.

We will have volunteers on hand to help ensure health and safety protocols are in place.

your group’s core values while making a greater impact as you lead the community for a brighter tomorrow.

Last year, you helped us raise over $150,000 between our two walk locations. With your support, this year we think we can beat it! Please consider gathering a team together and join us Saturday, February 26th either in person or virtually.

Thank you to last year’s team captains!

Your commitment helped make last year’s event such a success and we hope you can lead your team again in 2022. Please let us know how we can support you this year.

To register yourself or your team, please visit one of the following websites (those planning to walk virtually may visit either website): Victoria Walk: https://cnoy.org/location/victoria/Pandora Westshore Walk: https://cnoy.org/location/victoriawestshore Both our organizations will be hosting a Zoom Information Session for the public to learn more on Friday, January 7 at 4pm. All those interested in attending are asked to please email: stevens@ourplacesociety.com Presently we are seeking sponsorships from businesses, faith, and community groups. Sponsoring Coldest Night is the perfect opportunity to showcase

If you are interested in captaining a team, sponsorship, or have any questions, please contact: Steven Seltzer Phone: 250-940-5064 Email: stevens@ourplacesociety.com An effect of the pandemic has been the increase of people accessing our programs and services. Our Place and

PCFSA are here for individuals and families facing extreme challenges – regardless of the reason. Your support will ensure that we can continue to be a beacon for our friends and neighbours experiencing tough times.

We will see you out in the cold!